Popular manga series to be available in English around the world, for free

One of Japan’s biggest manga publishers wants to break into new markets overseas. One way to do that is to release its popular manga titles in English for free. A better way to do that is to release them at the same time as the original version in Japan.

That’s what Shueisha Inc. has done with its Manga Plus website and app service. Readers almost everywhere in the world can now read the latest issues of 38 titles in English. The titles are all published in Shueisha magazines. They include popular pirate adventure series One Piece.

The online service is available in all countries except Japan, China and South Korea. A Spanish version will also be available in coming months, Shueisha said.

Users can also read 13 completed series, including Dragon Ball, the popular martial arts adventure series.

Shueisha hopes that releasing the issues as quickly as possible will cut down on piracy. (Kyodo)

publisher
（名）出版社、発行者
◆Greg was excited to learn that his manuscript was chosen by a major publisher to be made into a book.
（グレッグは自分の原稿が大手出版社に選ばれて本になると知り興奮した）
☞publish（動）出版する、発行する

release
（動）解放する、発売する
（名）解放、発売
◆a feeling of release（解放感）
◆When we first debuted in the music industry, it was customary to release new singles on a regular basis.
（私たちが初めて音楽業界にデビューしたころは、定期的に新しいシングルを出すのが慣例だった）

latest
（形）最新の
（名）最新のもの
◆at latest（遅くとも）
◆The latest trends in fashion seem to be using a lot of the same items we wore in the 90s.
（最新のファッショントレンドは、90年代の服と同じものを数多く用いているように思える）

series
（名）ひと続き、連続、シリーズ
◆a series of（一連の～）
◆This documentary about wildlife preservation is a four-part series.
（野生動物の保護に関する本ドキュメンタリーは４部作である）

martial
（形）軍事の
◆martial art（武道）
◆In order to control the political unrest in the country, the larger cities were placed under martial law.
（その国の情勢不安を制御するため、大都市が戒厳下に置かれた）
☞martially（副）勇ましく

piracy
（名）海賊行為、著作権侵害
◆air piracy（ハイジャック）
◆Recently, the government is starting to be really strict about Internet piracy.
（近ごろ政府はネットの著作権侵害に対してとても厳しくなってきている）
☞pirate（名）海賊、著作権侵害者